“ZIRAT attends and then distills the information from a number of industry conferences that I don’t have the time, budget or inclination to attend. I can then attend one meeting at a great venue with ZIRAT experts that present the information in one meeting at a pace and level that I understand. I then get a more detailed document in the annual report for reference. ZIRAT helps me maintain my technical “edge” regarding zirconium alloy performance. The annual report and special topic reports provide the document that I can cite as a reference in the resolution of technical evaluations or problems that I encounter or that are given to me. Outside of going back to a university, ZIRAT is the only structured forum that exists solely for the transfer of information by acknowledged industry zirconium alloy experts. Actually, for nuclear industry engineers, the ZIRAT seminar format is better than returning to a university (that is assuming I still remember the materials basics). The ZIRAT participants are somewhat different than the EPRI Robust Fuel Programme member participation. In meeting and break discussions, I am able to hear about plant performance issues that I don’t hear in other meetings that I attend. Since ZIRAT has a very strong European participant base, the perspective I have an opportunity to hear is different than that of my US peers. This is revealing, informative and refreshing. I am glad to be a member of ZIRAT.”

“ATOMIC ENERGY of Canada Limited utilises the ZIRAT and LCC Programmes for the training of new engineers and scientists working on materials performance in nuclear reactors. Apart from learning about generic materials issues pertinent to all nuclear reactor applications AECL’s young scientists and engineers are able to broaden their knowledge of materials performance in other nuclear reactor systems that are different from the CANDU reactors designed and built by AECL. The ZIRAT and LCC Annual Reports provide excellent reference material for our new scientists and engineers and are a valuable resource for scientists like myself who wish to stay current with advances in nuclear materials R&D. The special topic reports that are selected in advance by the Members, are an excellent source of references for those wishing to learn more about particular areas of interest and also provide valuable insights into the underlying subject matter. One recent Special Topic Report in ZIRAT14 summarised published information on in-reactor creep. This very extensive review of the in-reactor creep of zirconium alloys, extending over many decades of published data, is an excellent primer for researchers entering the field. The text and figures are formatted in such a way as to allow a reader to flip through the report and quickly understand the main points of the narrative. The colourful figures and tables are easy to view and add much to the character of the report. I fully expect that AECL will continue to use the forums provided by ZIRAT and LCC to train new staff and as a means of networking with experts in the field of reactor materials engineering.”

“The scientific literature continues to expand and it is difficult for one person to keep on top of it, even on what would seem to be a specialised topic like the metallurgy of zirconium. The ZIRAT Programme fills this gap by summarising the year’s activities on topics relevant to the use of zirconium alloys in nuclear reactors. The added value of the Special Topics is the collected opinion of the experts writing and presenting the information; they highlight the significant advances, point out deficiencies in data and models and are happy to take suggestions on how to deal with controversies. The approach is unlike that at a conference, where presenters are often making cases for their point of view. Since the world mostly uses light water reactors, much of the focus and attention is rightly placed on the issues presented in PWRs and BWRs. Interpreting the information for reactors that use pressure tubes is sometimes difficult because the operating conditions and the time scales are so different. The inclusion of occasional pressure tube topics has the reverse difficulty for the LWR community. Since  both groups are dealing with zirconium, areas of overlap, such as fabrication, creep, corrosion and fracture, provide common ground for transfer of data and ideas. The ZIRAT Programme provides an excellent post-graduate course for those just starting in the field as well as helping those with more experience to keep up-to-date. The contact with an instant network of knowledgeable people through the magic of the Internet is most valuable. Why did you not exist in 1965 when I was starting out?”